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SanctiusConcept: Jaded Occult DetectiveCaste: TwilightMotivation: Abolish the GuildAnima: Complex equations recording even the most minute of details of the surrounding areas, written in blue-purple and gold Old Realm text.Intimacies: The Innocent (Protection) (If they cannot protect themselves, I will)
Nexus (Love) (It is a hive of the worst scum in all of Creation…But damn it, it is Home)
The Guild (Cold-blooded hate) (They prey on people every day. They are the worst.)
Silk Blossom (Loyalty and Respect) (A highly valuable ally, and all considered, a lesser evil compared to most crime bosses I know of. I owe her for a lot of things by now, too. Like food. It is kinda annoying that everyone seems to think I'm sleeping with her though. I guess I can think of worse people to have an alleged affair with though.)
The Black-Handed Crane (Caution) (He's crazy….But he doesn't seem to hurt innocents. He's a useful informant at least, though I don't like him.)
Glorious Horizon (Comradely Respect) (He actually wants to help people, which I respect, though he occasionally comes off as a bit too optimistic or naive.)

Backgrounds:
Artifact 2: Orichalcum Daiklave - Judge-of-Character - Generally covered in canvas or something
Artifact 2: Dusted General's Ward - See below
Resources 1
Contacts 2 - The Black-Handed Crane (He finds me amusing for some reason that escapes me. Sometime about waiting for him to to raise hell. Anyway, he shows up occasionally. The least he can do is answer some questions once in a while) and one other Major Contact I haven't decided on. A high ranking law enforcement agent in Greyfalls perhaps.

0/23 BP 7/90 XP
Flaw: Nightmares 3pts - bits and pieces of Beloved Flower's life
Regain no WP from a night's rest on a 1-6
Flaw: Code of Honor 2pts
Cannot lie to anyone he has an intimacy towards to, or considers an ally, without failing a Conviction roll

Virtue Flaw:

Compassion Flaw: Grandmother's ScornFull Break: He confronts his companions to prevent them from endangering or degrading themselves, using any or all non-lethal means at his disposal.Partial Control: So as to not obstruct a greater goal, he confines himself to mercilessly haranguing his companions regarding their foibles and flaws.Conditions: He sees those he cares for speak or act in a self-destructive manner (whether physically, intellectually or spiritually).Duration: One day

**Artifacts
Dusted General's Ward (Artifact 2)

This relatively normal looking long coat was originally made by an Earth Aspect general during the middle of the Shogunate. Growing annoyed with the dusty lifestyle of a soldier in an age of long, boring, and most importantly dusty as all Malfeas trench warfare, and disliking the aesthetics of Collars of Dawn's Cleansing Light, he created a great coat based off Jadeborn designs. These artifacts are made mainly out of Tyrant Lizard, Auroch, or similarly tough leather, with small linings of magical materials to strengthen it. White Jade is the most commonly used, but most versions have small amounts of multiple magical materials.

This design is still common among some Lookshyan soldiers, especially Earth aspects with a love for Ramparts of Obedient Earth, and it has caught on among some Maurkani riders. Rumor says that there are versions made purely out of magical materials, such as a starmetal Dusted General's Ward with integrated Elsewhere Pockets.

Though it will always look dusty, this coat is otherwise immune to any effects that may dirty it. Note that this effect does not extend to the wearer, though a smart exalt may ignore minor effects through it. You could take a swim in the coat, and upon exiting the water the coat would seem dry as before, but the wearer would be otherwise drenched. On the other hand, if a snowball was thrown at the exalt and it hit only an area covered by the coat, the exalt would not suffer from it. The artifact negates all penalties to Social rolls that would be applied due to the character being dirty or unkempt, for the coat makes them look fashionably unkempt, rather than purely dirty.
Owing to this artifact's composite design, this artifact has no magical material bonus.
Soak +7L/10B Hardness 5L/5B Mobility -0 Fatigue -1 Cost 2 Attune 3 Tags none

Contacts:
The Black-Handed Crane ("Crane"): Nothing is really known about this Outcaste Assassin. He is an Air Aspect, and he is a known master of the Ebon Shadow Style. He takes job more on amusement factor than anything else. His rates are outrageous, but mainly just to see how much he can overcharge them. He seems to avoid harming innocents. This is unlikely to be out of altruism, but who knows. More likely, it is some combination of professionalism and simply considering innocents to be boring kills.

Background:
The Nexan known as Sanctius was born fourth and youngest son of the Council of Entities Secret Police Chief, a grim man known as Renatus. Needless to say, his childhood was one of luxury, though his father wasted no time on testing him and his brothers. He made no illusion in loving his children. After all, love isn't profitable. They were, however, intended to replace him eventually, and he hated nothing more than a failure. So their training was thorough, and the best money could buy.

Sanctius was always the smartest and most perceptive of the boys, though absent minded at times. For this, his father favored him, which got him no love from his siblings. The man always set his sons against each other. Weed out the failures that way. But despite the loathing of his brothers, Sanctius kept on.

Years later, Sanctius opened a Private Investigation Agency, to test his skills by himself. He had a small shop deep in the Cinnabar district. Every so often someone would stumble in, and ask for his help. They were invariably the poor and helpless, so the pay was poor, but he cared little. Their gratitude was more than enough payment.

Sometimes he caught thieves or murderers. Other clients were wronged by the wealthy, and he had to turn the Council's own laws against them. This wasn't quite as hard as it sounds, considering the odd Civilities the Council passes at times.

The first few times, his father looked the other way. But his patience soon ran out. He told his son to close his agency, and begin to work for the secret police proper. Sanctius respectifully declined, saying that he liked working alone. More of a challenge. This was the stick that broke the camel's back. Sanctius was skilled, and his death would be a waste, but better than him disrupting Council. So Renatus decided his youngest son was a failure, and needed to be…Removed.

Renatus hired one of the best killers in Nexus to carry out the job. An Air Aspect Outcaste who was known as the Black-Handed Crane. Rare to take contracts "below him," it was a surprise when the old man accepted. Maybe he needed the money, or more likely he was just bored.

One by one, Sanctius got quite the rude awakening, as his shop was burned to the ground. While he watched his home burn, quite too late to stop it, an old man bumped into him. The white haired man apologized, smiled, and walked off. Sanctius turned to grab the guy, knowing a hidden taunt when he sees one, only to see an empty alleyway. Time to do some more investigating.

Over the course of the next few days, Sanctius met the man a few more times, always in crowded, public areas. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was toying with him, and even introduced himself on their second acquittance, before vanishing as quickly as the first time.

Sanctius got to work to outsmarting the would-be assassin. First thing to do is assume they're as smart and talented as you, if not more. So figure out what you'd do, in their situation. Figure out their style, if they have a flair for the dramatic. If they have a favorite technique. Use everything you can find against them.

Their final confrontation was on a rooftop in the Nighthammer district, near the docks, at dusk. Crane was going to be watching from this rooftop, before leaping down and going to talk to his newest friend for a bit. He enjoys his mockery and toying. But Sanctius predicted what rooftop he'd pick. After all, no other one in the area gave quite a good view as this one.

The old man laughed as the detective approached him, complimenting him on his ability to figure him out. He asked the younger man to predict his next few moves. Sanctius gave his best guesses, and he got another laugh as a response.

"And why shouldn't I just kill you now, kid?" The next question was a bit more difficult. Sanctius replied that he already had a dozen or two chances to kill him (listing every one), and he must have a set time or place already. and this isn't it. Just more laughter. Then a sai came flying at Sanctius. He hadn't seen the Dragon-Blooded move! It missed his neck by a hair's width.

"I can kill you whenever I like, kid. I hope, for your sake, that you stay amusing. Because the moment the fun stops…." He makes a throat-slitting motion. Adrenaline pumping, his heart racing and his mind racing even faster, Sanctius tried to calculate his options. He wasn't going to get another chance like this. It was do or die. It had a terribly low chance of success, but it wasn't 0%.

He grabbed the sai that lay at his feet and charged the old man. He already knew which way the assassin would side-step and adjusted his dash at the last moment. The next moment, the Dragon-Blooded leaped, soaring over the mortal detective's head. Mind still running at max speed, he tried to read where he'd land. Santius was a decent fighter, but he was nothing compared to a Dragon-Blooded master assassin. His only advantage was being able to see what was coming. Crane's ego restrains him a bit, slows him down, lets him enjoy the fight a bit. And Sanctius would have to abuse that if he wanted to survive.

A half dozen barely missed meetings of death, in other words 10 seconds later, Sanctius had it all figured out. He could survive, if not win. The Epiphany hit. And then it happened. His anima exploded outward, the light visable probably from anywhere in the whole city. The Twilight castemark burned itself into Sanctius' forehead…And he felt like he could do anything.

His moment of perceived invulnerability came from the old man's laughter. He congratulated the new Copper Spider, both on living this long and the exaltation. He said something about having fought anathema before, not worth the effort. Fun to watch them wreck Creation though.

"Hahaha. I like you kid. I've had my fun, so I'd say you should best get out of here. Don't think people can't see that glow of yours. Well, see you around. I'll enjoy my front row seat when you raise hell." With that he waved and vanished into a shadow. Sanctius was a bit confused to say the least.

A bit later, Sanctius was leaving Nexus. He decided it would be best to wander a bit, give himself time to think a bit. He had worked in the Hundred Kingdoms for a few years, on a pseudo study abroad sort of thing. It sounded like as good a place as anywhere else.